I used to be 18 playing with friends in their houses. It used to be a 0.5/0.10p game and I was really pretty bad. My friend had played in the casino one Wednesday in a freeroll that you could rebuy in for £5. I told my Dad I wouldn't be home for dinner because I had won a "raffle" into a poker game. I ended up losing pretty quickly and telling the table "I'm way out of my league here" when they asked me to rebuy. When the GUKPT came around I went down to watch and was in complete awe of everybody who was there. There was a 5/5 cash game that felt like a 100/200 cash game.

I worked really hard that year and by the time I was 19 I was starting to become more of a regular in the games, playing £30 freezeouts sometimes. I went to the Sunday tournament that was £20+£20+£20 and remembering I only had £40 so couldn't afford to buy in for the 3rd bullet. I final tabled but didn't cash, but I enjoyed it. I remember at this time I was really, really tight, I once looked at a Queen utg and folded without looking at the second card It was pinged him to play very tight UTG and I knew the button was special but didn't know why or how I could use its special powers.  When the GUKPT came around this year I went and watched again, a huge fanboy. I didn't know a single player, most people with like 30-60. There was a group of around 6-7 younger guys though and I remember Francis Creed was railing them, her boyfriend at the time Tony Phillips was dressed like Channing and used to play good. I stood next to her on the rail and after a few minutes saw the cut off open, this young kid with long dark hair 3bet him and I saw him peel his cards and saw A9o. I almost jumped over the rail, I really couldn't think why he'd ever do that with such a bad hand. The guy called, and folded to a cbet. That was my first ever AHA moment in poker. I found out who he was and he was a young kid who had a poker blog that was about playing 100nlhu online and online tournaments, he was called Jake Cody! His travelling partner was Tom MacDonald and they were instantly upgraded to numbet 1 heroes. I added both of them on facebook and would tell my friends about things they'd post etc. Jake then went on to win Deauville that year iirc and then the rest is history.

I worked hard for that next year again but was at University, this time when GUKPT came around I sold action for a £220 and a £330 side event, this was HUGE to me at the time. I remember getting to the last 2 tables and playing some pot against Jeraint Herzain? Where I defend his 3bet then stop and go'd when I knew he was trying to push me about. Things were starting to tick a little bit, but I hadn't accelerated enough or improved at the pace I wanted to.

Newcastle was then taking off the tour and even though I improved significantly in that time I wasn't at the stage where I could financially afford to travel around playing the live circuit. I moved to Gibraltar to work for PokerStrategy.com then lived in Spain/Hungary since.

Since then I have always followed the tour online, I like to watch the stream from time to time and often check the chip counts with interest.

When I realised I could play WPT next week and saw that Blackpool was this week it wasn't really a decision if I'm honest. Playing a GUKPT was weirdly as close to the bucket list as playing a WPT is, perhaps even higher!

I loved my entire experience at Blackpool, it was without doubt an incredibly soft tournament that I wouldn't feel bad about selling a 1.8 but the whole experience and atmosphere was great.

Jesus! That's some answer. Wasn't expecting that. Good luck next week in nottingham.

And with the book deal 

He is also a cracking film critic, watched some great films due to his rambling on facebook. ty

Good Luck tomorrow man!

Anyone know if you can park easily near the casino?

Would usually google but obv no good when the casino has park in its name

Parking underneath the casino, It is park of a multiplex with a cinema. I believe it is comped for casino patrons but not 100% as have never really came out of it sober....

Are the EU asking for more cash, or is it just a different split and we are paying more due to a "strong" economy?

If it's the latter I think they have to pay it - after all the politicians constantly lecture us that those with the broadest shoulders have to pay the most tax andeveryone must pay their fair share etc etc.

If it's just EU being greedy then I think there is a good case for telling them to get stuffed.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/11184605/Explainer-Why-must-Britain-pay-1.7bn-to-the-European-Union-and-can-we-stop-it-happening.html

Not read it but the interview is with a different guy called Richard Chadwick, you do realise that don't you?

Great news, take it easy big man.

On my second pair of Merrells. Got a pair of Beluga's thet are very comfortable, waterproof & Goretex should be around £100 i got mine on holiday for about $120 

Spin and go?

Generally forms part of a sentence whenever the camel meets little Danny...

This is kind of bugging me but not sure really why.

I lost money but it was insignificant and when I heard he had went of the rails I only expressed concern that he gets home and well etc. I used to work in the same company as his wife and only noticed when this all broke that i had been un-friended on faceboook which I thought was odd but whatever. Now I see him back on facebook opening a new business and all is lovely so well done on getting shit sorted and back on track I suppose. They are both still friends with quite a few on here but not one word has been posted on the staking forum that was set up and I therefore assume that not one of the people who have lost cash here have been contacted with even an apology, maybe the ones still on facebook did?

As I said it is bugging me, not sure what it is that is actually bugging though, probably the misjudging of people.

 

Woodsey you seen the old BBC series Bodyline?
Worth looking up considering you love of cricket if you not seen it.

Remember this so well even my mates who had no interest in cricket thought it was brilliant. Think it was an Australian production which is why it hasn't been repeated much here. Hugo weaving (Mr Anderson & Elrond) brilliant as Jardine keep meaning to buy the DVD to watch it again.

Woodsey would def love it surprised he doesn't watch it every morning tbh.

I went to nandos twice today.

Did you use a fork?

Purely as an interested observer had it in my top five sporting press convferences ever (Usain Bolt, Steve McLaren, a Kevin Keegan one, and one i forget)

apparently it was electric, a really crackling tense atmosphere

i think i would quite like to see it for all team sports

You've just been drubbed, all 11 in a football team are sat down either side of the manager and asked questions, see what the body language and responses tell you

Much better than the Geoff Shreeves (with the odd exception) line up in front of a media wall and ask them about an offside decision, penalty appeal etc

It was a kind of open mouthed viewing moment wasn't it Rich. Tho it was another example of taking responsibility, Stephen Gallacher hit a terrible shot on the par 3 17th when two down with 2 to play and Mick was in trouble. He walked of the tee saying how shocking the shot he just hit was and giving himself a good talking down.

Mick seems to have decided to deflect the blame from himself and his mates instead of giving themselves a collective good talking down.

Dunno about deflecting the blame from himself, he won 2 out of 3 points and was 6 under v Stevie Gallagher after 17 think he performed pretty well at golf.

There seems to been some problems in the background between Mick and the captain tho. That isn't a great spot to be in a team environment and openly telling people that you should have played on Saturday is undermining at best isn't it?

Totally agree, Phil was clearly raging he didn't get a game on the Saturday. I thought he and Bradley deserved to be out in the fourballs in the morning at least and should have rested in the afternoon as fatigue was an issue with a few. Watson openly admitted that Phil had sent him texts pleading to play and that he told him he wasn't playing well enough in his opinion. So perhaps Watson shouldn't have been airing those points also? Doesn't exactly portray a positive image and help the team environment? I don't agree with what Mickelson did but Watson is well known for being very stubborn but by the end of the weekend he looked exactly like what he is a hero from an long past era.

Purely as an interested observer had it in my top five sporting press convferences ever (Usain Bolt, Steve McLaren, a Kevin Keegan one, and one i forget)

apparently it was electric, a really crackling tense atmosphere

i think i would quite like to see it for all team sports

You've just been drubbed, all 11 in a football team are sat down either side of the manager and asked questions, see what the body language and responses tell you

Much better than the Geoff Shreeves (with the odd exception) line up in front of a media wall and ask them about an offside decision, penalty appeal etc

It was a kind of open mouthed viewing moment wasn't it Rich. Tho it was another example of taking responsibility, Stephen Gallacher hit a terrible shot on the par 3 17th when two down with 2 to play and Mick was in trouble. He walked of the tee saying how shocking the shot he just hit was and giving himself a good talking down.

Mick seems to have decided to deflect the blame from himself and his mates instead of giving themselves a collective good talking down.

Dunno about deflecting the blame from himself, he won 2 out of 3 points and was 6 under v Stevie Gallagher after 17 think he performed pretty well at golf.

Phil is correct though the difference in 2008 was down to the captains.

It just wasn't that anything Azinger did had that much of an impact though.

Oh I don't doubt he was right, but that's not the point.

Time & place.

I bet Phil is regretting his comments already. If not, he soon will if Mr Chamblee Wamblee has gauged it right.


http://www.golfchannel.com/media/brandel-chamblee-reacts-phil-mickelson/

Don't think he was right on any level. The difference in 2008 was that Europe were captained by Faldo who was completely inept at the task. However the European players have done the classy thing (although they must have been tempted otherwise this week by some of his comments) and not aired any recriminations in public.

Phil is correct though the difference in 2008 was down to the captains.

It just wasn't that anything Azinger did had that much of an impact though.